Thin Places

It was cloudy,the other day, when I walked the dog. As I scanned the sky, I noticed a few places where the clouds were thin, and I could glimpse patches of blue sky. This somehow reminded me of the Celtic concept of ‘Thin Places.’  According to a Celtic saying, heaven and earth are only three feet apart, but in thin places that distance is even smaller.

I wondered if I was 3 feet or less away from God’s presence, right then. If so, why was I not paying attention? I noticed the sparrows and chickadees flying, chirping, and congregating on the bare branches of the trees. It was 23°F with a wind-chill temperature of 16°F. Everything was covered in two feet of snow. What do these birds have to sing about? I suddenly realized I had come across a thin place…a transparent window through which I glimpsed God’s provision and care.

Jesus said, “Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.” (Matt. 6:26 MSG)

These birds were singing in the middle of an Iowa winter. I doubt anyone in our neighborhood is filling up their birdfeeders in this snowy weather. I rarely see another soul as I go for my daily run/walk. Yet, these birds went about their day, carefree, knowing deep in their little bird brains something I hadn’t yet internalized: God cares for us.